Fire broke out on Holly Walk in Cherry Grove at approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 27, was still burning more than four hours later, but had been extinguished before 7 a.m. According to Cherry Grove Community Association, Inc. President Diane Romano, the Grove Hotel—but not the Ice Place nightclub; Holly House; Kokomo; and Trish Lagattuta's retreat Anima, the former Carousel Guesthouse, all unoccupied at the time, were devastated by the fire.
Sources say that 77 firefighters from Fire Island and Long Island fire departments, as well as a dozen ambulance personnel, were on the scene. According to Diane, Cherry Grove Firefighters Bob Lerch; Robert Conlon, who suffered second degree burns on his hands and was taken to Southside Hospital; Clyde Oakley; Assistant Chief Craig Williams; Laura Ann Giusto; Mark Atten; Justin Dobay; Monika Kost; Sammy Dee; Arthur Cohen; and Michael Romanelli were among those fighting the fire. Grovites Nicole Brems, Romeo Jeffrie McLean, and Todd Erickson assisted.
Those fighting the fire, according to Craig, beside members of the Cherry Grove Fire Department, were firefighters from Fire Island Pines, Fair Harbor, Saltaire, Ocean Beach, Kismet, Point O'Woods, Ocean Bay Park, Islip, East Islip, Great River, Sayville, West Sayville, Bellport, Blue Point, Hagerman, North Patchogue, Farmingville, Islip Terrace, Lakeland, and Medford. Assisting as well were volunteer ambulance workers from Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Squad, Central Islip Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corp, Exchange Ambulance of the Islips, Community Ambulance Company, south Country Ambulance, and Patchogue Ambulance Company.